Remembering What Never Happened
by Evil Twin Theory
Summary: This is a hard story to summarize without giving everything away. Anyway, Kitty along with some other characters suddenly wake up one day with 2 sets of memories, but which one is real? Reviews are appreciated. Completed!
1. Chapter 1

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Remembering What Never Happened

AN: I don't own X-Men Evolution (wish I did) so all standard disclaimers apply. 

Somethingwas going to happen.

Kitty wasn't sure what exactly and even tried to convince herself that she was just being paranoid, but she didn't think that she was. The air itself felt thick and heavy and it seemed difficult to breathe. It was as if there was a great, invisible weight was dangling just over her head. Something was going to happen.

It seemed that the others felt it as well. Kurt was goofing off more than usual. At one time, Kitty would have been annoyed by this but she had long since learned that Kurt used humor defensively to handle situations in which he felt uncomfortable or uncertain. Scott was more quiet and apprehensive than usual and Jean had been unconsciously chewing on her bottom lip until it appeared ragged and raw. Kitty couldn't help but wish that what ever was about to occur would go ahead and happen. The wait was getting tough.

Suddenly, Kitty's wish was granted. The ground begin to shake violently, ragged cracks sliced through the windows. "Is is Lance?" Scott demanded, trying to regain his footing.

Before anyone could answer, darkness flooded the room. There was a loud thump as something heavy fell followed by a series of low rumbles that sounded like thunder from a distant storm. Someone screamed hoarsely and it took Kitty a second to realize that it was her.

"Honey, are you okay?"

Kitty stopped screaming and looked over at the open doorway where her mother stood. "Mom?" Glancing down, she saw that she was in sitting up in her own bed.

Her mother walked into the room and put her arm around Kitty's shoulders. "It's okay, dear. It was just a dream."

"It seemed so real," Kitty said, "Wait, why aren't I at the institute?"

"Institute?" her mother repeated, "What are you talking about?"

"The institute," Kitty restated, "You know, the…" But her voice trailed off. What had seemed so clear only moments earlier was suddenly fading like wisps of smoke. "I don't know," she finally continued, "It must have been dream, I guess."

"Of course it was," her mother stated, "Now you go on back to sleep. You have school tomorrow."

"Sure. Thanks, Mom. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Quietly, her mother left the room and closed the door behind her leaving Kitty alone. It had to have been a dream. She clearly remembered going to bed here at her own house in her own room. Yet, why could she see a room that she shared with a goth girl that was both fragile and strong? Why did she expect to see other people running into her room to check on her instead of her mother? And why was she looking for an elf? 

An elf? "That's just weird," she mumbled to herself as she rolled over on her side and curled up beneath the covers and drifted towards sleep. Yet, in the moment as sleep overtook her, she whispered aloud, "Kurt."

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I hope you like chapter 1. All reviews are appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

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AN: Insert standard disclaimers here. Thanks to all who have read my story so far. I hope you like this chapter.

The next day followed an all too familiar routine for Kitty, yet at the same time something was different. These were the same hallways she had walked everyday this year and the same students hurrying about, yet it was as if she could see another school and other students existing in a reality that overlapped with this one in a semi-translucent layer. The feeling wasn't as strong as it had been the night before, but it was still there. She had even almost called one of her friends by the wrong name. She had openly laughed it off, saying that it was just a result of a lack of sleep. Who had ever heard of anyone named Rogue anyway? All she could do was hope that this day passed quickly and tomorrow would be better.

However, it seemed that time was passing relentlessly slow and Kitty began to grow more anxious. She paused at a water fountain on her way to her locker to get a drink, trying to distract herself from her worries. When she finished, she stepped back and bumped into someone walking down the hallway.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, turning around, "I wasn't looking where…" Her voice trailed off when she saw who it was.

Lance was standing there, looking down at her with his characteristic smirk. "Just who I wanted to bump into," he said.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, frowning, "I thought you were suspended."

"I was," he replied, "but that's over with now. So, aren't you going to welcome me my first day back?"

"Welcome back," she mumbled, pushing past him and walking towards her locker. He followed close behind and casually leaned up against some nearby lockers she selected the books she needed. "Like, why are you following me?" she demanded.

His smile slipped slightly and he didn't answer at first. "I'm not sure," he finally admitted in a softer tone.

Kitty was surprised but she had never seen Lance like this before. He seemed almost scared. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he repeated, "It's just the whole day has felt weird or something. It's like I'm seeing double. Well, not exactly double, but…I don't know how to explain this. It seems like I can see some other place when I look around here. It doesn't make any sense."

It made a lot of sense to Kitty, but she didn't know what to day. "When did this start?" she questioned, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Last night," he replied, "I had some sort of weird dream like the world was shaking, but then again that could have just been me." He smiled at her, but he still looked a little frightened.

"Yeah, maybe it was just you," she said as she started to walk away.

"But there was something else," he added.

"Yes?" She stopped walking and turned to look at him. By this time, they were almost alone in the hallway as most of the other students were already in their classrooms.

"When I woke up," he began, "there was something so clear in my mind I thought it was a memory, but now it's beginning to fade. Maybe it was just a dream." He looked her straight in the eyes as he spoke. "I saw you and me, us, at a dance together. It was a school dance, but it wasn't this school. At least I don't think it was. Anyway, we were dancing but then something happened. I can't remember what."

Kitty didn't respond, she just stood there looking at him. "It must have been a dream," Lance continued, and Kitty could hear anger seep into his voice. He must have been wanting her to say something in return. "I mean, why would I ask you to some crummy school dance anyway?" He turned and walked away.

"You didn't ask me," Kitty whispered aloud in the empty hallway, "I asked you." 

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"Why aren't you eating, Kitty?"

Kitty looked over at her dad and gave her best impression of a smile. Her school day had finally ended and she was now sitting in the dining room with her parents. Her mom had cooked a wonderful meal but, so far all she had done was push the food around her plate with her fork. "I'm just not that hungry right now," she replied.

"Are you feeling all right?" her mother asked, "You're not getting sick are you?"

"No, I'm just tired. I didn't sleep very well last night."

Before her parents could ask any more questions, the phone rang. Thankful for the interruption, Kitty jumped to her feet and ran to answer it. "Hello," she said.

At first, the person on the other end didn't speak. Finally she heard a hesitant voice speak. "Kitty?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

There was another long pause before the answer finally came. "It's me - Jean."

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Still confused? Believe it or not all this will make sense later on in the story. Trust me. 


	3. Chapter 3

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AN: I don't own X-Men Evolution, bladda, bladda, bladda. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed my story so far.

"Jean," Kitty repeated, "I, uh, I don't know anyone named Jean."

"Yes you do," Jean gently insisted, "and I think you know that."

"No," Kitty responded, but her voice had lost all of its earlier conviction.

Jean paused for a few minutes before continuing. "When you woke up this morning," she finally said, "It's as if you had two sets of memories both of which seem real but both in conflict with one another." Kitty gasped, unsure as how to respond.

"Kitty," her mother called from the other room, "Who is it?"

"Just a friend," Kitty quickly responded.

"Then tell her you'll have to call her back," Kitty's father announced, "and come back to the table."

"Look, can you call me back in an hour or so?" Kitty asked, "My dad's kinda weird about being on the phone while we're eating.

"No, I think I'll come by tomorrow," Jean answered, "I'll meet you after school. Okay? We can talk more than."

"Sure. Bye."

"Bye."

Kitty replaced the phone on its receiver and walked back as if in a daze to the dining room. Everything seemed so unreal, but she found herself trusting Jean. "Uh, Mom," she said, "Is it okay if I go to the mall after school tomorrow before coming home? Some of my friends are going to take me."

"That's fine, dear," her mother answered, "Just don't stay out too late."

"And call us if anything happens," her dad added.

"Yeah," Kitty replied in a faint voice as she focused her attention to the food in her plate. Maybe tomorrow she would finally get some answers.

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As Kitty walked out of school, she wondered if Jean would be there or if she would even recognize her. However, when she saw the redhead standing by the SUV, both questions were answered. Somehow, she knew this had to be Jean. It was strange - she didn't look like someone Kitty would have chosen to be her friend. She looked like one of those seemingly perfect, popular girls that made you feel incredibly self-conscious to be around: the kind of girl you envied, admired, and despised all at the same time. Kitty made her way over to her.

"Jean?" she asked.

Stepping forward, Jean nodded. "Hi, Kitty," she greeted.

An awkward silence followed. "Uh …I told my parents that I was going to the mall."

"We could drive there," Jean said, "and talk on the way."

"Okay," Kitty agreed, and climbed into the passenger side. Jean got into the driver's seat and started the vehicle. Together they made their way towards the nearby mall, Kitty quietly giving Jean directions, but they had yet to talk about their mutual problems. It wasn't until the pulled into an empty parking space at the mall that they begin talking.

"So what's going on?" Kitty asked.

Jean sighed deeply. "I'm not sure," she admitted, "It's seems almost like there are two realities - as if time was split somehow. All I know, is that I woke early yesterday morning with two sets of memories. At first, I thought I was just going crazy." She sighed again. "That's when I decided to see if I could find out if any of those people or things I was remembering actually existed. At first, I couldn't find anything until I stumbled onto a web page where you were mentioned for winning a prize for a computer program you had made. When I saw your picture, I knew that I wasn't losing my mind."

"Wow," Kitty said, breathless, "And that's when you called me?"

"Actually," Jean answered, "I told my parents I needed some time to myself. My spring break started yesterday, so they encouraged me to take a little vacation. I called you from a hotel room last night."

"Oh, but then what is going on? I do sorta remember you but at the same time I don't.

"I wish I knew. It appears that something has happened to alter the way things were supposed to occur."

"But how? I mean, that wouldn't exactly be something easy to change," Kitty stated. She paused for a moment. "Maybe I am just losing my mind."

"Don't say that," Jean insisted, "You're not losing anything. Remember, it's happening to me too."

Kitty managed a small smile. "Maybe insanity is contagious," she said.

Jean returned the smile. "Maybe," she replied before becoming serious again. "Isn't there anyone else you know who seems to be having these problems?"

"There's a guy at my school," Kitty answered, "Lance. He mentioned something about it happening to him too." She shook her head. "But how could something like this happen?" she asked, returning to her original question.

"I don't know," Jean said, "but still, I think we have to find out."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I'm going to go to Bayville. It seems like that's the center of all these other memories so maybe that's where the answers will be." She turned towards Kitty. "I'd like you to come too."

"I would, but my parents probably wouldn't let me."

"But next week is the beginning of your school's spring break isn't it?"

"Well, yeah. But my dad's kinda overprotective."

Jean smiled mischievously. "Leave that to me."

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"We're here," Jean announced with false enthusiasm.

Kitty watched as the sign welcoming them to Bayville slid past her window, still more than a little amazed that Jean had been able to arrange for her to come along on this little trip. Her parents, especially her father, were usually extremely overprotective, but Jean had turned on the charm when she had come over for dinner on Thursday evening.

Casually, she had told them how she had just moved to the area and how her and Kitty had become fast friends, but then came the tricky part. Jean had said that since the upcoming week was their Spring Break, she was going to spend the time looking at a few colleges. She had even produced a few college brochures. Even though she was convincing, Kitty had braced herself for rejection when Jean suggested that it might be a good idea for Kitty to come along.

However, Kitty's parents had agreed with Jean. Although Kitty still had a few years before she had to make a decision about a college, her parents seemed pleased that she would be looking. Still, her father had made her promise that she would call every night.

As they drove the through the town, everything seemed so familiar to Kitty, but that didn't really surprise her. In fact, very little surprised her these days. However there was one thing that was disturbing to her: when she had first awaken the other day, the other memories were very clear but had quickly begun to fade. In fact, the memories had steadily faded until she had seen Jean that evening after school. And now, as Bayville stretched out before them, those memories had become painfully clearer - reverberating in her mind as they collided with what she believed to be the truth. She couldn't help but wonder if they were doing the right thing.

Still, she tried to hide these feelings as she glanced towards Jean and asked, "So, where to first?"

Jean's face was grim as she drove around a steep curve. "The high school," she answered simply, obviously not willing to elaborate.

Kitty nodded as they rode in silence to the school. It was Sunday afternoon, so they expected the school to be basically empty. However, it appeared that the band had just returned from a trip. Most of the band students were climbing into their own cars or their friend's vehicles but a few were just waiting around for a ride.

Parking the SUV, they walked towards the front of the school, drawing the attention of a few of the students. Kitty couldn't help but wonder if they looked familiar to them. "What now?" she quietly asked Jean.

Before Jean could answer, a stern voice spoke up from behind them. "Can I help you, ladies?"

Jean and Kitty turned and simultaneously gasped. The woman herself didn't looked particularly frightening but rather no-nonsense with short, brown hair and glasses. Still, something about the woman made Kitty feel uneasy and she could tell by the quickness of Jean's breathing that she felt it too. The woman folded her arms across her chest and stepped forward, obviously expecting an answer. A nearby student also noticed the woman.

"Hey, Principal Darkholme," he called, "What are you doing here?

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The stars twinkled in the black, velvet sky - seemingly cold and lonely. Kurt Wagner knew exactly how they felt as he stared at the night sky through his bedroom window. He couldn't sleep. Again he had the dream about the institute in America where he had friends and where he was accepted. He sighed as he turned away from the window and crawled back into bed.

It was a shame that it was only a dream.

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I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'm sorry I took so long posting this, but a lot of stuff has been happening lately. A few notes: first, I'm going to repost Chapters 1 and 2 because I noticed a lot of weird errors (like writing to day instead of to say). No major changes will be made, only a few corrections. Secondly, I hope this section wasn't too dull but, if it was, I blame Jean. She's never been one of my favorite characters and I had a terrible time writing her scenes. Thanks again for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

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AN: Thanks to everyone who has read my story so far! I really appreciate it!

Kitty stood there, feeling almost pinned down by the severe gaze of this woman, this Principal Darkholme. But, that's not the only name she's known by, Kitty thought to herself suddenly. She jumped mentally at the thought, but she knew that it was the truth. There was some other name this this woman sometimes used, but what?

"We were just looking for some friends of ours," Jean quickly said, "but it doesn't look like they're here right now. We probably should be going." She turned to walk away.

"Wait," Principal Darkholme commanded, "You two aren't students here, but we've met before haven't we? Just who are you anyway?"

"I think you must have us confused with someone else," Jean said, a slight tremor cracking her normally smooth voice.

"Yeah," Kitty spoke up, "that happens to us all the time. I guess we just have those kinds of faces." She laughed nervously as she turned toward Jean. "We have to be going," she said, "Dad will freak if we aren't at the restaurant before he is."

"That's right," Jean agreed, picking up on Kitty's act. She turned towards Principal Darkholme. "Sorry we can't stay." 

They turned and started walking back towards the parking lot. The closer they got, the faster they walked until they were actually running by the time they reached the SUV. Kitty couldn't help but feel a little frightened. The woman would have to be really dumb to buy the story that Jean and her were sisters and she didn't seem to be ignorant. As they drove down the road, Kitty glanced back, but she could barely see the school - much less the mysterious Darkholme. She let out a sigh of relief. "Who was that?" she asked.

Jean seemed surprised. "You don't remember?"

"Well, I do a little. Darkholme…that's not her name is it? Or, not her only name at least." She turned towards Jean. "What was the other name: the name we knew her by?"

"Mystique," Jean responded. Her tone was soft, but that name carried a heavy weight.

Kitty waited for her to continue, but after a moment it was clear that she was unwilling to do so. In the relative silence of the drive, Kitty leaned back in her seat and stared out the window. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" she finally asked.

Somehow, the fact that Jean didn't have an answer made the situation all the more ominous. 

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Mystique was surprised that Jean and Kitty were in town. She couldn't figure out how they had found their way here, but that wasn't really the issue. They _were_ here so wondering about they why's and how's wasn't going to change anything. Besides, it wasn't as if she couldn't handle the situation. She may have not been expecting this to happen, but, as usual, she was still prepared.

She turned away from the large window where she had been standing and found herself staring into a jumble of wires, cables, and other devices. As she looked at the heart of the whole contraption, she felt a touch of guilt, but quickly pushed it aside.

She had things to do. There was no time to waste on foolish emotions.

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The sun was setting in the western hemisphere of the sky, it's golden light painting the nearby clouds so that they seemed to be dipped in gold. The dark veil of night stood poised, ready to cast itself over the world as frogs and crickets began their nightly serenade. However, Kitty and Jean were not admiring the beauty of the world around them.

They were looking at a beautiful property that stood atop of grassy hill. This is where it was, Kitty thought to herself, this is where the institute was. She no longer even needed to ask Jean. Her own memories had become strong enough that she didn't need to have someone else's verification.

However, the institute wasn't there now. Instead of the large mansion, a smaller two-story home stood. It looked pleasant enough, but the small "NO TRESPASSING" sign that hung from the tall fence, which surrounded the property, seemed to indicate the inhabitants didn't particularly welcome company.

Shaking her head, Jean climbed back into the SUV. She looked tired, drained, and mentally exhausted. "We need to get back," she said as Kitty got in the vehicle, "It's about time for you to call your father. Besides, we can look around some more tomorrow."

"Sure," Kitty agreed weakly, but both of them knew that the situation didn't look good. Jean would have to take Kitty home soon or her parents would be worried and so far they hadn't found a thing that explained what was happening.

At least, they didn't know they had.

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There's Chapter 4 in all its glory. I hope you enjoyed it. Chapter 5 will be here soon!


	5. Chapter 5

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Thanks for all the reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kitty sat on the small hotel bed, trying to focus on the sitcom that was on television, but she just couldn't pay attention. The laugh track roared at the impossible or, at least unlikely, situations, but tears began to fill her eyes. Her own life had become an unlikely situation, but there was nothing funny about it. It was selfish, but she wished she had never came on this trip. Perhaps, if she had just stayed home the other memories would have quietly faded away.

The bathroom door opened and Jean stepped out, wrapping a towel around her wet hair. Kitty quickly turned away, hoping that Jean hadn't noticed that she was crying. However, when she felt Jean gently touch her shoulder, she realized that Jean knew. It wasn't exactly easy to hide your feelings from a telepath.

"I'm sorry," Kitty mumbled, using the back of her hand to wipe her eyes.

"That's okay," Jean replied, "besides, I think that perhaps I'm the one who should apologize."

"What do you mean?" Kitty asked.

Jean took a deep breath as she walked over and sat down on the other bed. "Your memories - the _other_ memories were starting to fade, right?"

Kitty nodded, wondering where Jean was going with this.

"But that wasn't true with me," Jean explained, "From the moment I woke up both memories were equally clear - equally true." Her voice became soft. "We made comments and jokes about going crazy, that was what was truly happening to me." She paused as she made eye contact with Kitty. "I'm sorry," she finally continued, "I didn't want to drag you into this and I surely didn't want you to have the same problems that I was. It's just that when I found you, I was relieved because I finally learned that it wasn't all just in my head. My only thought was that now I might able to find out what was going on."

Kitty was surprised by Jean's admission. "That's okay," she managed. The frustration she had been feeling melted away, but she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"No, it's not okay," Jean responded, "but thanks anyway."

"So…," Kitty said, trying to change the subject. "What are we going to do tomorrow?"

Jean pulled back the blanket and crawled into bed. "We have someone we need to visit," she answered.

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The house looked basically the same. It was better maintained it looked somewhat neater. Plus the "Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House," sign was absent. Yet, it was still the same. Jean and Kitty were parked just down the street where they could watch the house. "What are we doing here?" Kitty inquired.

"Just wait," Jean instructed.

As if on cue, the front door opened as 'Principal Darkholme' stepped forward. Kitty gasped and slid down in the seat hoping not to be noticed. Thankfully, it seemed that the local principal had other things on her mind as she climbed into her car and drove the opposite way down the street.

Once she was out of sight, Kitty sat back up in her seat. "How did you know she was here?" she asked.

Jean smiled, her eyes sparkling slightly. "I picked it up yesterday when we saw her," she answered, "Now, let's see what we can find."

Kitty was a little surprised when she realized that Jean was actually preparing to break into Mystique's home. Well, they didn't have to actually 'break in' since Kitty had quietly phased them through the front door, but still she was nervous at thought of Mystique catching them. At the same time, Kitty had to admit she was curious as to what the interior of the house would look like.

It appeared that Mystique had a talent for decorating. Each room had it's own unique style and color scheme - and the lavish decorations seemed to be in such contrast with the rather plain exterior. Yet, as Kitty looked around, she couldn't help but feel something was missing. That's when she realized there was almost no personal effects to be found. The living room, for example, was beautiful but it looked more like a room you would seem portrayed in a magazine rather than in a real home. The only thing that seemed to display any real personality was a large walnut bookcase that was located in one corner. A cursory glance of the contents seemed to indicate that Mystique was quite a fan of Stephen King. In fact, there was a worn copy of "The Dark Half" setting on a nearby table, a red bookmark marking a page somewhere near the middle of the novel.

The upstairs was quite similar. The main bedroom was decorated gloriously, as if it was the room of some fairy tale princess. The closet, however, was bare except for two coats and there was only one pair of gloves in a drawer. Kitty had never really thought about it before, but she supposed it made since that Mystique didn't own a lot of clothes.

The only thing that was out of place upstairs was one small bedroom at the end of the hall. It was not decorated beautifully like the others and the few items that were in the room were more masculine in nature. Besides, it looked as if the inhabitant of this room was rather sloppy.

Still, despite the fact that the house was interesting, they had found nothing that shed any light on their current problems. Kitty shook her head as they made their way downstairs and turned towards Jean. She was about to make a comment about the ways things were going, but paused when she noticed Jean's expression. It looked as if she was about to cry. "Don't worry, Jean," Kitty said, "I'm sure we'll figure all of this out soon."

"It's not that," Jean replied, "Look, I haven't been completely honest with you. You know how I said my memories were all clear?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Well, most of them are, except for one. Just before the ground began shaking and the lights went out, something had happened. I know I was running to tell everyone when the earthquake or whatever it was hit."

"What was it?" Kitty asked.

"I can't remember," Jean admitted, "but I know it's important somehow. I wish I could remember what it was because I think that it's central somehow to all that's happened. What about you? Can you remember anything else about that night?"

Before Kitty could respond, a noise from outside interrupted them. Running to a nearby window, they saw that Mystique had returned and was heading for the front door. They hurried to the back but saw that there was no door on this side of the house, so Kitty grabbed Jean's hand and they phased through the wall to outside. 

"That was close," Jean commented.

"Yeah," Kitty agreed, "I thought for sure-"

"What are you two doing here?" a voice interrupted.

Both girls turned and saw Toad sitting, or rather squatting, in the limb on a nearby tree. Kitty recognized him immediately ; another clue that these memories were becoming clearer.

Toad jumped down from the tree and smiled. "Boy," he said, "did you guys pick the wrong house to break into. I know I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when she finds out." He laughed slightly.

Jean seemed aggravated as she turned away. "Come on, Kitty," she instructed.

"What's your hurry?" Toad asked. He jumped a few times until he landed in front of them. "Where are you running off to?"

Jean's eyes narrowed. "We haven't got time for this right now, Toad," she said.

The smile quickly slid from Toad's face as this comment. "How did you know who I was?" he questioned.

"Look, we have to go," Kitty spoke up, "Like she said: we don't have time to talk about this now."

"Maybe you should make some time," Toad responded. His tongue lashed out towards them. Kitty jumped to the side as it struck the ground. Even if she hadn't moved, it wouldn't had hit them. It appeared that Toad was trying more to intimidate them than anything else.

"We've wasted enough time," Jean stated. She moved her hand and telekinetically shoved Toad backwards several feet. This seemed to anger him as he jumped to his feet and started towards them again. Again, Jean used to her telekinesis to shove him back, harder this time. He hit a tree and moaned slightly as he rubbed his lower back.

"You certainly handled him easily enough," someone congratulated them, "Maybe now you need a real challenge." The speaker stepped from the shadows and walked towards them. Kitty recognized him as quickly as she had Toad, and felt immediately relieved. Finally, things were looking up for them. She glanced at Jean, and was not surprised to see there were tears in her eyes.

"Scott," Jean said simply, her voice trembling slightly.

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And so ends chapter 5. I hope that you liked it. Chapter 6 will have a few more surprises, I hope. 


	6. Chapter 6

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AN: Thanks for all the reviews! I know how much everyone doesn't like cliffhangers, so here's the next chapter. Be warned: parts of this chapter are far darker than anything else I had written up to this point.

Scott didn't respond at first and Kitty couldn't help but notice that there was something different about him. She would have never described Scott as being vain or conceited, but he did usually take the time to make sure his appearance was neat and presentable. At least, he did usually.

He was currently dressed in a wrinkled, gray shirt that was too large and stained blue jeans that were fraying just along the tops of his dirty, white sneakers. His hair badly needed to be trimmed and there was a small scar on his cheek. The only thing that appeared to be the same was the visor.

"Scott," Jean repeated, stepping forward, "I'm so glad we finally found you." It seemed that differences didn't matter so much to Jean.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Scott began, "that you know my name. I was warned about your abilities."

Jean faltered. "What are you talking about? Don't you remember me? Scott, it's me - Jean."

"There's no use in trying to trick me," he responded, his voice rising slightly, "I told you; I was already warned."

"I don't understand," Jean said.

"Then maybe you'll understand this!" Scott shouted raising his hand to his visor. 

Kitty realized what Scott intended to do but Jean seemed to shocked by his behavior to react. Just before the optic blast hit Jean, Kitty grabbed her arm so that the beam passed through Jean rather than actually striking her. Jean gasped as it seemed she now realized that Scott was not kidding.

"Stop!" Jean cried, "Why are you doing this?"

"I want to know what's going on too," Toad said, standing up. Up to this point, he had been watching the whole confrontation as if amazed, "I mean, who are you people?"

"Stay out of this," Scott commanded.

"Are you going to make me?" Toad taunted.

"As a matter of fact," Scott responded, blasting the ground inches from Toad's feet, "I am."

Toad just stood there for a moment and Kitty thought he was going to attempt to face off against Scott, but finally he turned and start walking away. "I don't need this," he said, as he made his away around to the front of the house. Kitty realized that Toad was probably staying there in that messy room upstairs. That explained what he was doing here, but Scott was a different matter. She couldn't figure why he was here and it didn't seem like he and Toad had recognized each other.

Once Toad was gone, Scott turned his attention back towards Jean and Kitty. "Now, where were we?" he questioned, smiling slightly.

"I have no intention of fighting you," Jean stated.

"Shame," Scott responded, "because I do." He shot another blast but this time Jean was more prepared as she telekinetically protected herself. As she had done in their brief struggle with Toad, Jean shoved Scott back, but he wasn't so easy deterred. Quickly, he regained his footing and was on the attack again.

At first, Kitty wasn't sure what to do. Just a few days ago she barely knew how to use her powers as her only experience had been a few times she had accidentally phased through something. Yet, since she had met up with Jean and they had came (returned?) to Bayville, her memories of the institute had become so clear that she now had a fairly good grasp on all of this, although she still found herself hesitant in a battle with a former friend and teammate. 

All at once, Jean spoke to her telepathically. "_Stand next to me",_ she said_, "and hold onto my arm. When I tell you to phase, do so quickly. I have an idea."_

Kitty nodded slightly and moved over behind Jean. Scott fired another blast, but Jean didn't protect them right away. In fact, Kitty was becoming afraid they were about to be hit when Jean finally did protect them. However, it was so very close that it would appear to Scott that they had been hit, especially since Jean began flying quickly backwards as if she had propelled by the shot and Kitty held on to her tightly. They flew back until they came near a large boulder. 

_"NOW!"_ Jean cried in Kitty's mind and she phased them inside the boulder.

They waited for a long time, before Kitty peeked out and she saw Scott slowly walking away. Obviously, he had been unable to find them. "What do we do now?" Kitty asked.

"We follow him," Jean replied, "mentally and from a distance. I have a feeling if we do, we'll finally find our answers."

********************

Their trailing of Scott led them back to the two-story house that sat on the same property where the institute had been. From a distance, they saw him enter through the front door as Jean flew them over the tall gate. They didn't dare try following through the front, but Kitty noticed a dark room upstairs. Jean flew them up to the window and Kitty phased them inside.

At first it was almost too dark to see anything except a series of blinking lights of some sort of machine. However, once their eyes adjusted, a horrible sight stretched out before them. There was a series of machines, wires, and devices throughout the room, but it was what these things were connected to that was horrifying. Slowly, Kitty circled around to the front so that she could see his face.

"Kurt," she cried, "What have they done to you?"

She had feared he was dead at first, but as she looked at his face it appeared that he was only unconscious. There were two large cables that were hung from the ceiling that were wrapped around his upper arms so that he was suspended there, his toes a few inches from the floor and was naked except for a pair of old shorts. Wires of various shapes and sizes were attached all over his body. There was a clear tube like an IV inserted in his lower right arm and another such tube that went up a leg of the shorts. However, the most disturbing was two larger tubes that looked like vacuum hoses. One was inserted in the base of his neck and the other had been inserted just below his rib cage. Kitty stepped closer, careful not to trip over the wires and she could see dried blood around the edges of the tubes.

"Don't worry, Kurt," she whispered, tears welling up in her, "I'll get you down from there." She reached up, prepared to take Kurt's hand and to phase him out of the wires and tubes, but Jean grabbed her arm.

"Wait," Jean began.

"Wait for what?" Kitty demanded.

Just then, a noise from outside the room distracted them. Someone was walking towards the room.

__

I hope you enjoyed chapter 6. I should have chapter 7 done soon. This story will probably have only 8 chapters. (I have to say probably because I sometimes change my mind where to end the chapter.)


	7. Chapter 7

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AN: Sorry I haven't posted sooner. I was out of town visiting family. Thanks for all the reviews!

The footsteps continued as Kitty grabbed Jean's arm, prepared to phase them through the floor if it came to that. However, the individual merely walked past the door and on down the hall. Kitty let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding as she listened to the footsteps fade as it appeared that this person was making their way downstairs.

Kitty turned her attention back to Kurt who was still hanging within the jumbles of wires. Reaching up, she touched the area just below where the tube was inserted into his neck. Someone had shaved a small bit of his fur away there and she was not really surprised to find that his skin was also blue and soft to the touch. It angered her that someone could have done such a thing to Kurt.

Again, she began to remove Kurt from the contraption, but Jean stopped her with a gentle hand upon her arm. "It might be dangerous," Jean whispered

"What do you mean?"

Jean pointed to the wires and tubes. "We don't know exactly these things are connected to inside of him. It might not be safe to just pull him down."

Kitty understood what Jean meant. Depending on what the wires and such were attached to, removing Kurt suddenly could actually kill him. "I guess you're right," Kitty said, "It just hurts to see him like this."

"I know what you mean," Jean responded.

Downstairs, someone began to shout but it was impossible to understand what was being said. Jean started towards the door and Kitty knew that they should find out what was going on downstairs, but still she was reluctant to leave Kurt. Silently promising him that she'd be back, she followed Jean as they slipped out of the room.

The two found themselves in an open hallway overlooking the main room of the house. They stepped backed into the shadows, so that they were not be easily seen by the occupants of the brightly lit room below. To Kitty's surprise, it was Mystique who was yelling. Kitty would have expected her to still be at the Brotherhood house where they had previously seen her only a little while ago. Still, the décor of this house seem to also bear Mystique's unique interior design style, which meant that she spent a good deal of time in both places.

Mystique was pacing angrily across the plush, beige carpet while Scott, the apparent object of her verbal tirade, stood there quietly. Rogue was sitting in a nearby chair, silently watching the entire scenario. Unlike Scott, Rogue's appearance hadn't really changed.

"You let them get away," Mystique growled, "I send you to do a simple job and you fail."

"I did hit them with a blast," Scott said, "and then I couldn't find them. I looked but-"

"SILENCE!" Mystique roared, slapping Scott across the face with her open hand. The sound of the slap echoed through the house like a gun shot. Even from a distance, Kitty could see the Scott's cheek grow red, but he didn't nothing to defend himself or to retaliate. 

Mystique was now shaking with anger. "Because you failed," she began, "everything I've worked so hard for is in jeopardy. Do you understand? After all I've done for you, you repay me by endangering everything. Get out of my sight!" She pointed for him to leave the room.

Kitty expected Scott to do or say something to Mystique, but he did not. His head bowed slightly as if defeated, he walked out of the room and towards the stairs. Before he could spot them, Kitty and Jean slipped back into the room were Kurt was located. A few minutes later, they heard a door to a room down the hall shut.

"I know we came here for answers," Kitty whispered, "but right now I'm more confused than ever. I mean, Scott and Rogue are probably two of the last people I would have imagined working with Mystique."

"Yeah," Jean agreed, sadly, "I can't figure anything of this out." Her mind was obviously more focused on Scott than Rogue, but Kitty didn't say anything about it. 

Sighing, Kitty walked over to one of the larger machines and started looking around at the buttons and controls. Her hope was that they would find some button that would safely release Kurt, but instead she found a pile of blueprints and papers. As she looked at the documents, she realized that she had found the original blueprints of the machine itself as well as a few of Mystique's records. "Look at this," she said, "It's the original design of the machine and some other papers."

"You think you can figure out how this thing works then?"

"I should," Kitty said, "I just need to study these for a bit." 

"Great," Jean remarked, "but we can't do that here. Let's go back to our room and look at this stuff there."

Kitty didn't really want to leave. The same reluctance she had felt before about leaving Kurt in this situation resurfaced, but she knew that Jean was right. Her best bet for helping Kurt was studying these papers and learning about the machine, and it would be best to do that back at the hotel. "Okay," she agreed, "let's go."

***********************

"Oh my goodness!" Kitty exclaimed.

"What is it?" Jean asked, looking over at her.

Kitty pointed to the blueprints. "I finally figured out what that machine was and why everything's been so weird lately. That device - it's some sort of time machine!"

"A time machine?" Jean repeated.

"Well," Kitty clarified, "that might be simplifying it a bit, but it's the only way I can think to describe it. From what I can tell, the machine uses Kurt's ability to teleport to allow people to travel backwards or forwards in time. There some notes here and it seems that Mystique found some of the research data from Forge's experiments. Remember how he discovered that Kurt was actually traveling through another dimension when he teleports? Well, his data described it as not only being a manipulation of space, but of time as well."

"So Mystique went back in time and changed things?" Jean inquired

"That's what it looks like," responded Kitty, "which explains how she made it to the Brotherhood house to other house without us seeing her. There are two Mystiques; the one who was already here in this timeline and the one who traveled back in time." Kitty shook her head slightly as she spoke. Things had been bad enough with one Mystique to worry about. "There are probably two Kurts as well," she added.

"So exactly what did Mystique change?" Jean asked.

"I don't know," Kitty said, a little sharper than she intended, "there are just a few random notes here. It's not as if Mystique left an essay lying around; "My Entire Plan and all the Details," by Mystique."

Jean giggled slightly and Kitty couldn't help but join in. It wasn't that it was actually all that funny, although the idea of Mystique writing an essay explaining everything was amusing in a way. However, as their giggles turned into laughter, Kitty realized that the stress of the situation had been getting to both of them and, despite the inappropriateness, it felt good to laugh.

"I'm not sure what she did," Kitty finally continued, as their laughter tapered off, "I mean, she's obviously did something with the Professor or it seems like he would be here. Also, I'm not positive but, from what I can tell by these notes, I think she actually _adopted_ Scott. I have no idea how she got Rogue out of Mississippi. There is something here about being afraid of meeting her past self - like obtaining the sudden memory of meeting herself might drive her crazy or something, but I'm not sure how she got around it."

Jean stood up and walked over to the window, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. "So," she said, "Mystique did this. She did all of this." She turned back towards Kitty. "Do you know how to change things back?" 

Kitty brightened slightly. "That's one of the few things I do know," she answered, pulling out one of the blueprints of the machine, "Even with the machine, Kurt actually has to do the teleporting, so he has to remain unconscious because if he woke up he would no doubt get out of that contraption. You were right when you said that it was dangerous to just remove him, but not just because it might endanger Kurt. The entire timeline could have collapsed! Anyway, for the machine to work Kurt has to be brought to a level of semi-conscious and then told the location and time to teleport to. Semi-conscious, he wouldn't be able to argue or reason, he would just go. You remember that IV we saw in his arm? There's a small valve on the tube. If we shut off that valve, Kurt should regain partial consciousness within a few minutes."

"And then all we would have to do is tell him to return back to the time before all this happened," Jean concluded.

Kitty nodded. "At least, we hope that will correct everything," she added.

Jean took a deep breath. "You remember when I told you that was something about that night that was important but I had forgotten what it was?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I remember was it was now," Jean said, "Kurt had been downstairs with the rest of us, but then he went up to his room to get something. He said he would be right back, but he was gone for awhile, so I went to check on him." She paused momentarily as she relived the memory. "His room was empty," she continued, "and his window was standing open. I was just running downstairs to tell everyone, when the shaking began and the lights went out." 

"That must have been when Mystique had kidnapped Kurt," Kitty said.

"Must have been," Jean agreed, "Come on. Let's go and get things back to the way they are supposed to be. You ready?"

"Ready," Kitty responded, but it was a lie.

She had never felt so _un_ready in her life.

***********************

When they returned to the home, it was eerily dark and silent. Kitty could feel beads of sweat gathering along her forehead as they made their way across the lawn. She was scared, but the thought of Kurt wrapped in a cocooning prison of wires and tubes gave her more than enough reason to go forward.

Again, Jean floated them up to the second floor and Kitty phased them inside of the room. "We've come to save you, Kurt," Kitty whispered.

"How can you save anyone when you can't even save yourselves?" Mystique demanded as she stepped from the shadows. She crossed her arms loosely and the smile that adorned her face was pure venom.

"I've been expecting you," she announced.

__

And so ends chapter 7. Chapter 8 will be here soon plus I have an idea for another story that I want to write, but I want to get this one finished first. I don't know if anyone noticed, but I tried to drop a subtle hint that there were two Mystique's in chapter 5. Remember, she was reading Stephen King's "The Dark Half?" I hope you liked this chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

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AN: So here it is: the final chapter. I hope everyone enjoys it!

Mystique took a step forward, her expression and focus unwavering. "The only thing I can't figure out," she said, "is how you found your way back here. The dual memories were a side-effect I hadn't calculated, but I thought those memories would have faded by now for everyone but me. So how is it you two still seem to remember?"

"What does it matter?" Jean retorted, "We _do_ remember and we're going to set things right."

"I suppose it's your telepathy," Mystique continued, as if she hadn't heard Jean, "It now appears that taking care of the dear professor was wiser than I even realized."

"What?" Kitty cried, "What did you do to him?"

Her venomous smile grew more deadly. "Let's just say," she taunted, "that I made sure he will not interrupt us." She laughed slightly.

Jean's eyes narrowed. "What are you up to?" she demanded, "What all did you change?"

"You mean you haven't figured that out yet?" Mystique responded, "Did I overestimate you?"

"You got rid of the professor," Jean stated, "and adopted Scott. That's the only way he'd ever work with you and it's also the ultimate revenge."

Mystique clapped her hands together. "Bravo, Miss Grey," she said, in mock congratulations, "While that is simplifying my plans quite a bit, you are _basically_ right."

"So where is everyone else?" Kitty asked.

Mystique raised an eyebrow as she continued to focus her attention on Jean, obviously expecting her to answer Kitty.

"They are all where they were before the professor or anyone ever first tried to contact them," Jean said, "because, in this timeline no one has contacted them." Mystique's smile confirmed the truth of Jean's statement without the need for verbal affirmation.

"But you've set things up," Jean continued, "so that you are in control. You can look for them anytime you want to."

"So that's what this is all about," Kitty stated, "but still, how could you do this to Kurt? I mean, he's your son!"

For the first time, Mystique's expression faltered. The smugness was gone from her features as a new expression took its place. Could it be that she actually looked as if she felt guilty, Kitty wondered as she watched her.

"Some sacrifices had to be made," she said, her tone strangely soft.

"But look what you did to him!" Jean insisted.

The anger flashed in Mystique's eyes. "How dare you try to order me around!" she growled. She stomped over and opened the door. "You two!" she yelled, "Get up here, now!"

Kitty could hear footsteps rushing towards the room, as well as the familiar voices of Scott and Rogue. "I thought we weren't supposed to go in that room," Scott said as they ran down the hall.

"Shut up" Mystique yelled, "and get in here!"

Scott ran to the doorway with Rogue following closely behind, but they paused when they saw the strange machine with Kurt hanging within the wires and tubes. "What is this?" Scott asked, his voice shocked.

"Never mind!" Mystique ordered, as she pointed towards Jean and Kitty, "Just stop them, like you were supposed to do the first time."

"But," Rogue began, "this stuff looks like something out of a old sci-fi horror movie."

"I'll explain it later," Mystique responded, in a gentler tone than she had used when she spoke to Scott, "but for now, those two must be stopped."

"We're on it," Scott said.

"But don't damage the machine," Mystique added, sharply

Scott and Rogue stepped fully into the room so that they were now facing Jean and Kitty. In a strange way, Kitty would rather be facing Mystique. At least she hadn't been a former friend and roommate.

"I don't know how you got away the first time," Scott said, "but I'm not going to let that happen again."

He tried to blast Jean, but she dodged and used her telekinesis to shove to try and pin Scott against the wall. However, she was being far more gentle than usual for it was obvious she didn't want to actually hurt Scott.

Kitty didn't have much time to focus on their battle because she was having her own confrontation with Rogue. She jumped backwards just in time to avoid Rogue touching her with bare hands and allowed Rogue's leg to phase through her when she attempted a kick. However, it was becoming difficult to continually dodge the attacks. She jumped to the side, but tripped over a large wire. By the time, she saw Rogue striking forward, she didn't have time to phase. The force of Rogue's blow shoved her against the far wall, and she was too dazed to move for a few minutes.

Rogue obviously didn't think that was a threat anymore, so she turned her attention to Jean, who so far had been able to defend herself from Scott. She leaped forward, her bare hand outstretched.

"NO!" Mystique cried, when she saw what Rogue was about to do, but it was too late.

Rogue's hand touched Jean's face, and Jean cried out slightly before losing consciousness. Scott stepped forward as Jean fell and smiled slightly, but Rogue was not smiling. Angrily, she spun around to face Mystique.

"Things aren't supposed to be like this," Rogue growled.

"You're confused," Mystique began, almost desperately.

"You changed everythin'," continued Rogue, shaking slightly now from anger.

"I did change things," Mystique admitted, "but I only changed them to the way there should be."

However, Rogue didn't seem to believe Mystique. Using Jean's telekinesis, she shoved Mystique completely out of the room and slammed the door shut. After locking the door, she turned and made her way over to Kurt.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked, obviously confused.

"What needs to be done," Rogue answered.

She found the IV that was inserted in Kurt's arm and followed it back to the valve. Shutting off the valve, she turned back to Kurt and watched him carefully. Within a few minutes, his eyes slowly began to open.

"Kurt," Rogue whispered.

"Vhat?" he mumbled, still mostly under sedation.

"Wouldn't ya like to go home?"

"Home," he repeated, smiling slightly. Kitty was struggling to her feet as she watched the entire scene. Somehow, the sight of Kurt's gentle smile while still attached to all the wires and tubes broke her heart even more.

"Yeah," Rogue said, "Let's go home."

*****************

Somethingwas going to happen.

Kitty wasn't sure what exactly and even tried to convince herself that she was just being paranoid, but she didn't think that she was. The air itself felt thick and heavy and it seemed difficult to breathe. It was as if their was a great, invisible weight was dangling just over her head. Something was going to happen.

Kurt said something about getting something from his room and that he'd be right back. He teleported from the main room, leaving only a small puff of smoke behind where he had been standing. However, Kitty wasn't paying a lot of attention. Her mind was too consumed with worry of what was about to happen.

Several minutes passed. "Maybe I should check on him," Jean said, and Kitty understood her concern. Although he really hadn't been gone all that long, when Kurt said that he'd 'be right back', he usually meant it literally. 

Jean came running back into the room, but before anyone could ask her what was going on, the ground began to shake violently.

"Is is Lance?" Scott demanded, trying to regain his footing.

Before anyone could answer, darkness flooded the room. There was a loud thump as something heavy fell followed by a series of low rumbles that sounded like thunder from a distant storm. Kitty started to scream.

Yet, as quickly as it had started the shaking stopped and the lights returned. For a few minutes everyone was silent as they looked around the room, confused. "What just happened?" Rogue finally asked.

"I don't know," Scott answered, "Is everyone okay?"

A general mumble reluctantly agreed that they were fine, except for Jean who seemed quite upset. "It's Kurt," she said, "He wasn't up in his room and his window was open. He's gone!"

"But I'm right here," Kurt announced, stepping into the room.

"Oh," Jean said, embarrassed, "I guess we just missed each other then."

"I guess," Kurt responded with a smile.

Scott looked around. "We need to find out what's going on," he said, "I want to know if that was Lance just now."

"There's no need for that," Professor X said, entering the room, "I'm not sure myself what happened, but I can assure you it wasn't Lance. Perhaps this was actually a natural earthquake."

"But shouldn't we try to find out what happened?" Scott asked.

"Everything is fine now," Professor X responded, "Besides, it's late. You really should be getting to bed."

Storm entered the room just as the others were leaving, but she had been standing in the doorway listening. "Why do I think you know more than you're saying?" she asked, but the Professor only looked at her. He didn't seemed to prepared to answer her just yet.

There were some grumbles as the others walked upstairs, but everyone was tired so their complaints were only half-hearted. Kitty, mentally exhausted from the stress, was more than ready to go to sleep. Yet, despite the fact that she was very tired, she couldn't seem to stop smiling. For some reason, she felt as if they had avoided a great tragedy and had found each other once again when they all had been lost. She couldn't explain the feeling, but it was still there.

At least the other feeling, the horrible worry that something was about to happen was no longer bothering her. It was fading, as if she had never even felt it in the first place.

Fading, as if it had only been a bad dream.

__

And so ends the story. I hope you liked it. I have some more stories that I will be working on soon. I have one short story that focuses on Toad that I would like to write as well as a story that's not quite Kurtty but really close. I also have an idea for a long story that focus on Mystique's past. The rough title for now is Mystique: Complete and Unabridged, but that may change. I appreciate any and all feedback on this story as well as the ideas I've mentioned.


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